SPEAKING C1.

2 COURSE
UNIT 1: LET’S TALK
Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Remember new words and collocations
- Interact with the teacher and their partners by asking and answering the
questions related to friends or friendship
- Cooperate with their partners to present the topic ‘Your best friend’
- Understand clearly the VSTEP format, specifically speaking test

1A. FRIENDSHIPS
PART A. Vocabulary
Collocations Meanings Examples
close friend a very good friend
enjoy each other’s to like spending time with Steve and Noah are always together,
company each other they definitely enjoy each other
company.
fair-weather friend someone who is your friend  A lot of John’s friends turned out to
only when you are cheerful be fair-weather friends. They were
and successful with him when he was rich and left
him when he went bankrupt.
friends are like second that is to say your friends
family love you and make you feel
comfortable
near and dear to very important to someone Her parents are the only people who
someone are near and dear to her.
shoulder to cry on someone who is always I’m so glad my boyfriend is so kind
ready to listen to your and sympathetic, it’s good to always
problems have a shoulder to cry on.
to be well-matched to be similar to somebody in They are well-matched. 
interests

to break up to end a relationship It is hard to believe that Jacob and

Sarah broke up. They were dating
since high school.
to drift apart to become less close to As years went by, school friends
someone drifted apart.
to fall for someone (to to start loving somebody They were childhood friends, and he
fall in love with fell for her!
someone)
to fall out with to quarrel, to have a conflict He left the party after falling out with
his girlfriend.

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to get on like a house people get on like a house I like my new roommate! We have a
on fire on fire when they like each lot of same interests and get on like a
other’s company and house on fire.
become friends very quickly

to get on well with to have a good relationship I’m an outgoing person and I easily
somebody with somebody get on well with new people.
to have a lot in to have similar interests
common

PART B. Useful Expressions

TIPS AND STRATEGIES:

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Tip 1: Answer by going straight to the point.
E.g. What do you think is the best time to get new friends?
Probably, the best time to get new friends is your school and university years. You
have many possibilities to get in touch with different people… And it is easier to find
friends with similar interests…
Tip 2: List ideas to support the answer.
2.1 List the ideas.
E.g. What do you do to improve your work efficiency?
First, I usually set my goals every morning to make sure I accomplish all the tasks
needed before the end of the day. Second, I keep my phone away from me during
work hours to make sure I am not distracted by any social media.
2.2 Give explanations or descriptions.
E.g. How can friends help each other?
Friends can help each other at work and school. Close friends can help each other with
personal problems, and they can be company for each other. That way you don’t have
to be alone.
2.3 Express personal thoughts or feelings.
E.g. Generally, are friendships important to people?
I think friendships are important to most people. Nobody likes to be alone. Friends
like to do the same things you like to do. Usually, they have ideas similar to yours.
Friends understand how you feel. Of course, friends don’t always think alike or feel
alike, but generally, they’re similar to you in many ways.
PART C. Practice
TASK 1: Work with your partner. Ask and answer the following questions.
1. Do you have a lot of friends?
Not a lot, but I have a few very close friends … I think it is better to have one reliable
friend than a thousand fair-weather friends… Although it’s not easy to
meet someone you have a lot in common with, I think managed to do it.
2. How often do you see your friends?
As often as I can… We enjoy each other’s company, so we see each other almost
daily… What’s more, we live very close to each other, so it’s easy for us to meet up.
3. Is there anything special about your friends?
Oh, that’s an interesting question… I guess there are a lot of things… For instance, my
best friend can draw unbelievable art, good enough to sell. And my other friend is

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really keen on cooking… But most importantly, they are people, who are near and
dear to my heart.
4. For how long do you know them?
I’ve known my friends since my childhood… We’ve been through thick and
thin together… Probably that’s why we’re so close now.

1B. QUALITIES OF A FRIEND

TASK 2: Work in group of three to brainstorm the ideas for the following
questions.
1. What do you think are the most important qualities for friends to have?
Essential qualities of a good friend:
Loyal:
 stay even when everyone else has left: ở lại ngay cả khi những người khác đã
rời bỏ bạn
 never let you feel that you’re alone: không bao giờ để bạn cảm thấy rằng bạn
cô đơn
 never talk behind your back: không bao giờ nói xấu sau lưng bạn
 don’t believe in gossip or engage in gossip about those close to them: không
tin vào tin đồn hoặc tham gia vào tin đồn về những người thân thiết của họ
 show up for friends when they promise they will: họ sẽ có mặt để gặp/giúp
bạn khi họ hứa họ sẽ tới
 be there for you in any situation: bên bạn trong bất kỳ hoàn cảnh nào
Honest:
 speak openly from the heart: những gì họ nói ra xuất phát từ chính trái tim họ
 honesty → the key foundation in trust: sự thành thật – nền móng của sự tin
tưởng
 tell friend → if he or she does not look good in an out fit: nói với bạn của họ
rằng anh ấy hay cô ấy không hợp với bộ đồ đó đâu
 keep their promises: giữ lời hứa
Supportive:
 they believe in your potential to reach your dreams: họ tin tưởng vào tiềm
năng của bạn là bạn sẽ đạt được ước mơ của mình

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  understand who you are and what you need: thực sự hiểu bạn và biết bạn cần
gì
 be with you through thick and thin: bên bạn trong bất kỳ hoàn cảnh nào
 get your back no matter what situation you’re about to walk into: hỗ trợ
bạn trong bất kỳ hoàn cảnh nào
2. Do adults and children make friends in the same way?
When we were kids:
 making friends → simple and easy: kết bạn → đơn giản và dễ dàng
 go knock on the neighbour’s door → see if anyone wants to start up a game
of kickball → just ask ‘want to play with me’ → become friends: gõ cửa nhà
hàng xóm → xem có ai muốn chơi đá bóng → chỉ cần hỏi muốn chơi không →
trở thành bạn bè
Making friends as adults:
 hard, take time: khó, cần thời gian
 adults → afraid to try something new: người lớn → sợ thử những điều mới lạ
 adult stuff:  work, financial issues, childcare,… → leave little time for
friends: những mối quan tâm khi ta là người lớn: công việc, vấn đề tài chính,
chăm sóc con cái, … → còn rất ít thời gian cho bạn bè
 going out isn’t as appealing → at the end of a long work week → watch
TV, browse the internet rather than meet up for dinner with a new
friend: đi ra ngoài chơi không còn hấp dẫn nữa→ sau một tuần làm việc  → xem
TV, lướt internet thay vì gặp gỡ để ăn tối với một người bạn mới
 networking becomes more important → meeting new people has become
more about finding out what they can do for you, rather than if they’re up
for a movie this weekend: kết nối để mở trọng mạng lưới trở nên quan trọng
hơn → gặp gỡ những người mới là để tìm hiểu xem họ có thể làm gì cho bạn,
thay vì họ có rảnh để đi xem phim không.
3. Do you think it is impossible to make real friends on the internet?
 Facebook, Penpalworld, Couchsurfing → you can find people with similar
interests → people who are eager to meet and share their knowledge with
others/ find like- minded people: Facebook, Penpalworld, Couchsurfing → bạn
có thể tìm thấy những người có sở thích giống bạn → những người mong muốn
gặp gỡ và chia sẻ kiến thức của họ với những người khác / tìm những người cùng
chí hướng
 Search for events in your area → a perfect opportunity to learn more
about the surroundings + meet new people: tìm kiếm các sự kiện trong khu
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 vực của bạn → một cơ hội hoàn hảo để tìm hiểu thêm các nơi xung quanh bạn +
gặp gỡ những người mới
 Dating apps → many people found their real life friends/ soulmate on
tinder/ …: ứng dụng hẹn hò → nhiều người tìm thấy bạn bè / người bạn đời
thực của họ trên tinder / …

1C. YOUR BEST FRIEND

TASK 3: Work in group of three. Draw a mind map to brainstorm ideas for the
topic. Then, present your answer to your class.
OUTLINES

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Describe one of your best friends
You should say:
•    What this person looks like
•    When and where you met this person
•    What you do when you are together
And explain why he/she is one of your best friends
Well, the person I’d like to talk to you about is a very good friend of mine, Mai. She
must be one of the nicest and most down-to-earth individuals I know.
If I were to describe how she looks I would say Mai is a
very gorgeous and charming girl who always attracts a lot of attention from men. She
is much taller than me so it’s kind of embarrassing standing next to her to be honest.
Mai also has straight brown hair and deep, dark brown eyes. Like most teenagers, she
pays a lot of attention to her appearance and likes dressing in the latest and
most snazzy fashion. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a plain old T- shirt or jeans.
Anyway, we’ve basically known each other since forever because we were in the same
class from high school through to college. You know, the first time I met her, she left
a deep impression on me because on the first day at school, I got lost while trying to
find my classroom and she was my saviour. Coincidently, we were arranged by the
teacher to become desk-mates.
And with regards to why she became my bestie, well, I guess the main reason is that
we really hit it off right from the start, and we also see eye to eye on a lot of things
such as fashion, sport and even video games. She is my closest friend so I feel like we
can share everything together, from schoolwork to our love lives. The thing I admire
most about Mai is that she is really protective and likes to look after people.
As a normal human being, however, Mai also has her shortcomings. She’s never on
time, and is sometimes quite absent-minded and inconsiderate and that makes people
think she never takes things seriously. But I don’t think this is true. She has a strong
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sense of responsibility and I know that I can always rely on her. For me, friendship is
the most important thing in the world and I am proud to say that I have such a loyal
and helpful friend – she’s really one in a million.
Vocabulary highlights:
1. down-to-earth – practical, reasonable and friendly
2. gorgeous – very beautiful or attractive
3. charming – very nice or pleasant
4. snazzy – modern or stylish, attracts attention
5. since forever – for a long time
6. deep impression – a strong effect or influence
7. saviour – a person who saves someone from harm or danger
8. coincidently – an occasion when two or more things happen at the same time in
a way that is unlikely or surprising
9. desk-mates – to sit next to or share a desk with someone
10. bestie – best friend
11. hit it off – to get along well with or become good friends with someone
12. see eye to eye – to agree with someone or to have the same opinion as them
13. love lives – romantic relationships
14. shortcomings – a fault, weakness or disadvantage
15. absent-minded – to be forgetful or easily distracted
16. inconsiderate – not thinking or worrying about someone else or their feelings
17. one in a million – very special or unique

TASK 4: Work in pairs. Ask and answer the following questions.

1. Do you think friendship is important nowadays?
Yes, certainly! Without my friends I’d be very sad and lonely, but they cheer me up
and help in every way possible… Of course, all relationships have their ups and
downs, but we should definitely try not to lose touch with our friends.
2. Is it important to stay in touch with your friends throughout the years?
Yes, it very important not to lose touch with your friends… Surely, everyone changes
and even close friends can drift apart. But, in my opinion, friends are your second
family and we should highly appreciate them.
3. Do people spend more time with friends or with relatives?
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 I think this depends on the time of life. Children and teenagers spend a lot of time with
their friends. But when they get a little older and start their own families, then they
spend more time with relatives. They spend time with their children because they have
to take care of them, and they spend time with other relatives because they need their
support. When the children are older and spending more time with their friends, then
the parents might have time again for their own friendships.
4. How do our friendships change as we grow older?
As we grow older, our lives change, so our friendships change too. Children have a lot
of time to play with their friends. When you get older and study or work, you don’t
have so much free time, so you might have fewer friends, maybe even just one or two
close friends. When you start a family, then your family becomes more important than
your friends. Your friend might be other parents and you help each other out with your
children.

1D. WAYS OF COMMUNICATION

PART A. Vocabulary
 To help somebody to keep in touch with friends and family: to maintain
communications with someone.
Example: The availability of advanced technology helps people to keep in touch with
their friends and family who travel abroad.
 To make education accessible to countryside students: give countryside
students the chance to study
Example: Equipping remote schools with more computers could make education
accessible to the countryside students.
Some disadvantages of technology
 To lack social skills
Example: Children who spend too much time in front of computer screens will lead to
lacking social skills.
 To face health problems
Example: Individuals using smart phones too much time might face some health
problems related to eyes.
 To browse the websites: to look at websites
Example: Whenever I have spare time, I enjoy browsing the websites to catch up on
the up-to-date news
 To surf the web: to look at a series of websites one after the other

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 Example: Mary had to surf the web to find information in order to finish her
assignment.
 To download something from the internet: to save a copy of a file from the
internet to your own devices
Example: Peter loves to listen to his favorite tracks on mobile that he
 A techie: somebody who has an interest in technology
Example: I can say that I am a techie, I do research about computer and internet all the
time.
 Wireless network: a network where users can access the internet without the
use of fixed cables
Example: Setting up wireless network will be really convenient, because you can
connect to the internet anytime and anywhere in your home.
 Breakthrough: an important new discovery in technology
Example: Microchip is one of the greatest technological breakthrough that mankind
has made.
 the Internet is beginning to rival newspapers : Internet đang bắt đầu sánh
ngang với báo giấy
Example: Nowadays, thanks to technological advances, the Internet is beginning to
rival newspaper.
Ngày nay, nhờ vào sự tiến bộ của công nghệ, Internet đang bắt đầu sánh ngang với báo
giấy
 the traditional press : các tờ báo truyền thống
Example: the traditional press is gradually replaced by the online one.
Các tờ báo truyền thống dần dần được thay thế bởi các trang báo mạng
 vital source of information: nguồn thông tin quan trọng
Example: The Internet has become a vital source of information due to the fast speed
and convenience of the search engines.
Internet trở thành một nguồn thông tin quan trọng nhờ vào sự nhanh chóng và tiện lợi
của các công cụ tìm kiếm
 the Internet age: thời đại Internet
Example: In the Internet age, it seems to have no distance between people since
everyone can keep in touch with each other through online devices.
Trong thời đại Internet, dường như không có khoảng cách giữa con người với nhau bởi
vì mọi người có thể giữ liên lạc với nhau thông qua các thiết bị trực tuyến

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 traditional means of communicating: các phương tiện liên lạc truyền thống
Example: The rapid growth of the Internet will sooner or later put an end to traditional
means of communicating
Sự phát triển nhanh chóng của Internet sớm muộn sẽ kết thúc sự tồn tại của các
phương tiện liên lạc truyền thống.
 the ability or opportunity to get online: khả năng hay cơ hội được lên mạng
Example: Nowadays, most people have opportunity to get online
Ngày nay, hầu hết mọi người đều có cơ hội được lên mạng
 trusted as reliable sources: được tin tưởng như các nguồn đáng tin cậy
Example: There are only a few sites are trusted as reliable sources such as BBC News
Chỉ có một số trang mạng được tin tưởng như các nguồn đáng tin cậy ví dụ như BBC
News
 news in real time: tin tức được đưa ngay khi xuất hiện
Example: People now are able to catch news in real time through live stream.
Mọi người ngày nay có thể nắm bắt tin tức ngay khi nó vừa xuất hiện thông qua live
stream
 gadgets and mobile devices: các phương tiện và thiết bị di động
Example: Communication has become more simple thanks to the help of the gadgets
and mobile devices
Giao tiếp đã trở nên đơn giản hơn nhờ vào sự trợ giúp của các phương tiện và thiết bị
di động
 contribute with our own updates on social media: đăng tin bài với các cập
nhật riêng của chúng ta trên phương tiện truyền thông mạng xã hội
Example: We now can become amateur journalists by contributing with our own
updates on social media
Chúng ta bây giờ có thể trở thành các nhà báo nghiệp dư bằng cách đăng tin bài với
các cập nhật riêng của mình trên các phương tiện truyền thông mạng xã hội.
 an explosion in the use of platforms: một sự bùng nổ trong việc sử dụng các
diễn đàn
Example: The increase in online population leads to an explosion in the use of
platforms.
Sự gia tăng số người sử dụng internet dẫn đến một sự bùng nổ trong việc sử dụng các
diễn đàn.
PART B. Practice
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TASK 5: Work with your partner. Ask and answer these questions.
1. How is communication changing between people?
Communication has definitely changed in the past few decades. From communicating
through pigeon dropping letters we are now able to see each other while talking.
Earlier people went on to meet others personally, but with advancement in technology
people are now comfortable sitting in their room and interacting through smart phones.
Instead of those long letters now see the cut and short messages.
2. It used to be common to talk to strangers. Do you think it’s okay to talk to
people you don’t know?
I think it is fine only with an intention of knowing the other person or may be just
passing time. Because no matter how great friends we have, they also were strangers at
some point of time. But, if one starts interacting with complete strangers, whom we
never meet of have no connection in common, sometimes it turns out in a very
negative way, especially if one is traveling alone.
3. How do you think will people communicate in the future?
I think it will be all technology for communicating. Most probably, people will
communicate using their minds. Technologies where people will be able to send their
thoughts off to the other person will be available. It might even be possible that people
are able to feel the other person virtually and interact with them.
4. How have smart phones changed communication?
Smart phones have taken talking as the form of communication to messaging as the
foremost method we use to communicate. Earlier people interacted using a call, now
we have whatsapp, social media and so much at our tip. There was wait in earlier
times, the curiosity for the letter about to come, and then the fun in reading it and
writing back. Now, it is very instant. The moment, I feel like talking with someone, I
can interact in just seconds, get a reply and move on. Although, it has made
conversations easier but I think it has taken away the fun of waiting and reading about
the other person life.

1E. The VSTEP format of Speaking Test

 Part 1: Social interactions (3 minutes)
 Part 2: Discussion (1 minute to prepare + 2 minutes to talk)
 Part 3: Idea development (1 minute to prepare + 3 minutes to talk)

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